April Favorites 2014

April literally flew by. And I know everyone and their cat says that once a new month rolls around, but I feel like I blinked and suddenly the month had passed. Between stuff at school, my Spring break, and just having fun in the warmer weather (and rain!), this month has been pretty solid. I also have a few favorites to share, and I'm starting out with my favorite motivational quote!

Now moving onto the beauty products!

Hair Care:

• Dandruff Shampoo (generic brand): This may seem kind of gross, but I have dry hair, which means that I have a dry scalp, which means that I have dandruff. And since my hair is very dark, it's quite noticible. I've been mixing in some dandruff shampoo with my regular Garnier one and it's been really lovely to help break down exisiting flakes and prevent new ones. Gross? Ah, well!
• TRESemme 24 Hour Body Non Aerosol Hairspray: I hadn't tried a non aerosol hairspray, and seeing that this one was on sale, I picked it up. Now, I've been using it, but it's definitely not my new holy grail. The smell is quite a strong, typical hairpsray smell, and I'm not a fan of such a prominant scent, but I do like how this holds my hair and I've used it all month, so I'm throwing it in.

Skincare/Body Products:

• L'Oreal Hydrafresh Toner: My favorite toner is the Clinique Step Two one, but I've been searching for a drugstore alternative. I really love this L'Oreal one: it prevents/treats acne and cleans my face, but it's definitely not as good as my beloved Clinique one. However, I will love and use this one until I find my perfect drugstore dupe.
• Method Hand Soap in Hibiscus Flower: Is it weird to include hand soap? Regardless, I'm a huge fan of the Bath and Body Works foaming hand soaps, but they're so pricey unless you buy them in bulk. I've heard great things about Method soaps which caused me to try this out. I love it! It's just like the Bath and Body Works foaming ones (minus the great scent ranges...although I do really enjoy how this smells!).
• BeeKind Body Lotion: I got this in my Birchbox this month and I'm in love. The scent is lovely--lemony and fresh--and it's not greasy at all. I keep this by my bed as my go-to hand cream for when I'm home (my handbag one of choice being Soap and Glory's Hand Food).

Makeup: 

• Elf Cover Everything Concealer: I am absolutely floured with this product. I found this at The Christmas Tree Shop for a measly $2 and it is seriously so incredible. It's a light and creamy concealer that covers blemishes and spots so well. I love this so much that I'm going to stop in and pick up the next color up (I wear Beige right now) so I can still use this once I get some color. 
• Revlon Photo Ready Cream Blush in Coral Reef: One look at this and we all see the same thing: clown cheeks! I've heard lovely things about these Photo Ready cream blushes from Revlon (not so lovely things about Revlon's other blushes) and I picked this one as it is much different than other things I own. Sheered out on the cheeks, it looks like a nice, natural flush, and I love love love it.
• Revlon Photo Ready 3D Volume Mascara in Blackened Brown: Geez, I can't believe I'm gushing about a mascara more than the Maybelline The Mega Plush. But this is amazing. It lengthens and adds a bit of volume and doesn't clump, and what more could you want? Oh, the brush is also really nice and a good size in proportion to my eyes. I didn't even realize I had picked out Blackened Brown, but I like it! It's a tad softer, but honestly, it still looks quite black.
• Maybelline Super Stay 10 Hour Stain Gloss in Mauve Dream: I have another one of these in a dark berry color (Berry Heavenly, I believe?) and I wanted to try a more natural color, as I love that one but don't find myself wearing it too often due to its brightness. Mauve Dream is a really pretty browned out pink that looks really nice with my coloring. I know, I know, mauve is an old-lady type of lip color, but hey, I like what I like. 
• Anastasia Clear Brow Gel: Another Birchbox item, I really have been enjoying this. It holds all day, but I'm not sure if it's necessarily better than the Maybelline clear mascara (which many beauty lovers use to tame their brows and I personally love as well). I may do a post wearing the Anastasia on one brow and the Maybelline version on the other to see how they compare (weird again?).

Lip Care: 

• Smiths Strawberry Lip Balm: This has become my staple before-bed lip balm. Not only does it smell delicious, but it moisturizes so well and just makes me happy while using it. I've never tried the original Rosebud Salve, but using this product makes me really want to! Ah, the love!
• Blistex Raspberry Lemonade Blast: I picked this up on a whim and ended up loving it. It smells super fruity and refreshing and moisturizes my lips amazing well. I keep this in my bag for school and use it every single day!

Nail Polish:

• Essie Cute as a Button: I wore this for the first half of the month to welcome Spring time, and I really enjoyed it! It's a bright, coral-pink cream that just made me happy every time I looked at my hands. I may be a little late to the party with this color, but late is better than never, right?
• Revlon Colorstay in Provence: This is a light purple (dare I say lilac?) color that I wore a lot in the second half of the month. What I like about this polish is that it's not super vibrant, so it almost had a nude-like quality that made it subtle and pretty. Plus it stayed on for ages, which makes me happier than anything in a nail polish.

Fragrance: 

• La Vanilla Pure Vanilla: This might possibly be my new favorite fragrance of all time. My mom bought this and didn't really use it, so knowing I was sort of in love, passed it along to me (thanks, Mom!) I also never thought I'd love a roller ball so much, but I find the convenience to be amazing. I tend to like scents that smell like you can eat them, and this sweet vanilla scent is just that.
• Dove Cucumber and Green Tea Body Mist: When I wanted something more subtle, I reached for this. I love cucumber scents because they are just so fresh and clean, which I adore. This Dove body mist was very inexpensive but works really well!

Fashion: 

• Old Navy Studded Loafers: I bought these back in August and recently dug them out. I've been wearing them a ton and I think they are so cute! They have some little gold studs on the toe, which I love as the studs don't overwhelm the classic loafer style  by making it look too overdone. I'm not sure if Old Navy still has these, but I've been absolutely loving them.
• Forever 21 Floral Necklace: Statement necklaces make me happy, but I like smaller statement necklaces as apposed to huge ones that weigh my neck down/take up half of my shirt. This one from Forever 21 is so cute and just dresses up an outfit for Spring. Super cute!
• JustFab Regional Bag in Green: My favorite thing of this month: this bag from JustFab makes me smile every time I use it. It's a really great shoulder/cross body bag that's the perfect side and has the perfect amount of space for every day. I can easily fit my iPad Mini, a standard book, phone, wallet, small cosmetic bag, and various other essentials in here. I also kind of love the closure for some reason, but I honestly do! 

Random: 

• How I Met Your Mother: I watched 8/9 seasons on Netflix this month, and I am seriously addicted. I can't wait until the last season comes out on Netflix so I can finish the show off, but until then, I will avoid hearing about the season finale! The five main actors on the show are now five of my favorite actors of all time, especially the boys, and I enjoyed every single second of every single episode. Obsessed? Only mildly. 
• Peeps: Easter time is Peep time in my world. I enjoy marshmallows quite a bit, so coat them in sugar and I find myself eating multiple boxes in a day (okay, I'm not THAT bad). For Easter, my mom got me a little set that came with two boxes plus a little Peep plush, and he is so cute! I'm in love. 
• (500) Days of Summer: My friend D lent me this DVD and it is so good! Zooey Deschanel is amazing and the story line is just so wonderful and captivating. If you're looking for a movie to watch, definitely check this one out. 
• Chocolate Cheerios: I didn't have these to photograph, but they are amazing. I've been taking them to school for breakfast during the week, and on the weekdays have been thoroughly enjoying them with some vanilla almond milk. I find they're the perfect multipurpose cereal. I like to eat cereal for breakfast and dessert, and this one is perfect for both of those. Plus, who doesn't love a bowl of Cheerios?

I believe that is everything! Thanks for reading thus far, and I hope you have a fantastic month of May! 

xoxo

Alyssa